Electrical terminals having means to facilitate the quick connection of an insulated conductor thereto



3,427,553 E QUICK 0 Feb. 11, 1969 j s u ow z ETAL ELECTRICAL TERMINALS HAVING MEANS TO FACILITATE TH AN INSULATED CONDUCTOR THERET Sheet CONNECTION OF Filed Feb. 28. 1967 Awe-0705s Feb. 11, 1969 J. SMULOWITZ ETAL' 3,427,553

ELECTRICAL TERMINALS HAVING MEANS TO FACiLITATE THE. QUICK CONNECTION OF AN INSULATED CONDUCTOR THERETO n Sheet of 2 Filed Feb, 28,

E 7 Jess/w 5/1404 awzrz A 5 ,9105; STEM/05,96

5V r'cy 'w United States Patent 2 Claims Int. Cl. H01r 11/20, 13/58 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical terminal for facilitating the connection of insulated wires to other wires or to electrical appliances. The terminal operates on the principle that the electrical connection between the wire and the terminal is effected by pointed prongs piercing the insulation to contact the wire. It is thus unnecessary to remove .any insulation from the wires. By means of a series of passages in the terminal the connected wires are firmly gripped in the terminal.

This invention relates to electrical terminals adapted to be connected to insulated electrical conductors. Such terminals are normally used to facilitate the connection of the conductors to electrical appliances or other electrical conductors.

With conventional terminals it is necessary that a portion of the insulation be removed from the conductor before it can be connected t the terminal. This can be a laborious .and time-consuming task.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved terminal to which an insulated electrical conductor can be connected without it being necessary to remove a part of the insulation, and to which the conductor can be rapidly connected.

According to the invention an electrical terminal comprises a body made of an electrically nonconductive material, a first bore extending partially into the body from one side thereof and adapted to accommodate one end of the insulated conductor, a second bore extending through the body and being displaced from but substantially parallel to the first bore, the second bore being adapted to accommodate a portion of the conductor, a slot extending into the body from one side thereof and communicating with the second bore to facilitate the location of the insulated conductor in the second bore, a pointed member made of an electrically conductive material projecting from the body between the first and second bores and adapted to pierce the insulation and contact the conductor when tension is applied to the free end of the insulated conductor, and means on the body to anchor a portion of the insulated conductor emerging from the second bore.

Further according to the invention, the slot is substantially parallel to the second bore.

Further according to the invention the body is provided with a passage extending through the body parallel to the second bore, the passage extending inwardly from one side of the body and communicating with the second bore to facilitate the location of the insulated conductor in the second bore.

To illustrate the invention an embodiment thereof is described hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURES 1 to 4 show isometric views of a terminal according to the invention to illustrate the various steps involved in connecting the terminal to an electrical conductor;

3,427,553 Patented Feb. 11, 1969 FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional elevation of the terminal; l

FIGURE 6 is the same as FIGURE 5 with the wire in position; and

FIGURE 7 is an end view along the line 7-7 in FIG- URE 6.

In the drawings the terminal is defined by a block 10 made of an electrically non-conductive material. A bore 11 extends partially intoone side of the block 10. A second bore 12 extends right through the block 10. The two bores 11 and 12 are slightly spaced from each other. Both bores lie in the same plane and their axes are parallel to each other. A portion of the side of the block 10 containing the mouth of the first bore 11 is removed to define a shoulder 13 lying between the two bores. Two pointed parallel spaced pins 14 made of an electrically conductive material are fixed in the shoulder 13 so that their pointed ends 15 protrude from the shoulder 13.

A portion of the block 10 lying to one side of the bores 11 and 12 is cut away to define a passage 16. A slot 17 is formed in the side of the block opposite to the side containing the mouth of the bore 11. The slot 17 is arranged to communicate with the second bore 12. The sides of the slot 17 are slightly concave.

In use, one end 18 of twin insulated wire 19 is inserted into the bore 11 (see FIGURE 1). The insulation 20 is not removed from that end of the wire. The bore 11 is so dimensioned as to hold the wire 19 firmly. The other end of the wire 19 is passed through the passage 16 (see the dotted lines in FIGURE 2) into the second bore 12. This other end of the wire 19 is then pulled taut in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 3. The tension on the wire 19 causes each of the pointed ends 15 of the pins 14 to penetrate the insulation 20 of one of the conductors and touch the conductor itself. In this manner electrical continuity is established between the wire 19 and the pins 14. The upper surface 21 of the bore 12 is bevelled to grip the wire 19 tightly.

The final step consists in forcing the wire, emerging from the second bore 12, into the slot 17, the concave sides of the slot serving to anchor the wire therein.

The anchorage of the wire in the slot, which is arranged perpendicularly to the axis of the bore 12, makes it virtually impossible for the wire to become disengaged from the pins 14. Furthermore, if the wire emerging from the slot 17 is pushed towards the body 10 the compression will be taken up by the lower surface of the second bore 12 and the wire will not be forced off the pins 14.

As illustrated in FIGURE 6, the pins 14 may be connected to inter-connecting wires 22 which may, for example, be connected to an identical pair of pins in an identical terminal (not shown) formed on the other end of the block. Thus the terminal may be used to couple one length of twin wire to another length of twin wire. On the other hand the terminal of the invention may be incorporated in electrical plugs, sockets, lamp holders, appliances, etc. It is therefore possible that shape of the body may change according to the application in which it is to be used.

Instead of being arranged perpendicularly to the bore 12 the slot 17 may be inclined backwardly so as to subtend with the bore 12, an acute angle.

We claim:

1. An electrical terminal adapted to be connected to an insulated electrical conductor, comprising a body made of an electrically non-conductive material, a first bore extending partially into the body from one side thereof, and adapted to accommodate one end of the insulated conductor, a second bore extending through the body and being displaced from but substantially parallel to the first bore, the other end of the insulated condu.:tor being adapted to be passed through the second bore, a pointed member made of an electrically conductive material projecting from the body between the first and second bores and adapted to pierce the insulation and contact the conductor when tension is applied to the free end of the insulated conductor, and means on the body to anchor a portion of the insulated conductor emerging from the second bore, the anchoring means being such that the anchored portion of the insulated conductor and the second bore subtend between them a right angle, the anchoring means being constituted by .a slot formed in the side of the body and communicating with the second bore, the body having a passage extending therethrough parallel to the second bore, the passage extending inwardly from one side of the body and communicating with the second bore to facilitate the location of the insulated conductor in the second bore.

2. An electrical terminal adapted to be connected to an insulated electrical conductor, comprising a body made of an electrically non-conductive material, a first bore extending partially into the body from one side thereof, and adapted to accommodate one end of the insulated conductor, a second bore extending through the body and being displaced from but substantially parallel to the first bore, the other end of the insulated conductor being adapted to 'be passed through the second bore, a pointed member made of an electrically conductive material projecting from the body between the first and second bores and adapted to pierce the insulation and contact the conductor when tension is applied to the free end of the insulated conductor, and means on the body to anchor a portion of the insulated conductor emerging from the second bore, the anchoring means being such that the anchored portion of the insulated conductor and the second bore subtend between them an acute angle, the anchoring means being constituted by a slot formed in the side of the body and communicating with the second bore, the body having a passage extending therethrough parallel to the second bore, the passage extending inwardly from one side of the body and communicating with the second bore to facilitate the location of the insulated conductor in the second bore.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1958 Odegaard 33997 5/1962 VOn Hoorn 339----195 US. Cl. X.R. 339-103 

